


Parting ways

by Emagsempai3



Series: Over we go [1]
Category: Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon & Comics)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:47:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29980335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emagsempai3/pseuds/Emagsempai3
Summary: 8 years after the events over the garden wall, Greg reunites with his brother as they both try to recover from a family death. When songs and dreams plague the older brother's mind, the world they had left behind seems closer than ever.
Series: Over we go [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2205216
Comments: 3
Kudos: 5





	1. Reunions and Recollections

1994 - 8 years later…

Greg struggled with his tie. The dark blue fabric made the gray air feel more of a downer by refusing to look good around his neck. After many desperate attempts to knot it, and many more panicked seconds of strangling himself, he finally unknotted it from it’s tight grasp around his neck. Bottom lip jutted out in frustration, he made a beeline for the door before stopping, and backtracking back to the mirror. His Dad was busy enough, he didn’t have time to teach someone to do something they should already know how to do. The fabric around his neck burned as he whipped the tie free, and tossed it onto his bed. 

“I’ll do it later.” He muttered. The big event wouldn’t be until tomorrow, so there was no need to worry over small things like that.

Greg threw himself across the twin size bed, wanting to wrap up in the blankets that were still warm from sleep. It smelled like burned food, the dinner his aunt had tried to make last night that went up in flames still lingered in the air. His Dad’s family had come to attend the funeral, trying in their best attempts to cheer up the poor man. Since mom was an only child only his Grandfather had come to visit, patting Greg on the head being his only reconciliation after a 2 year absence. The old man was a lot more silent than Greg remembered him. As much as Greg cared for his family, there were no peers to comfort himself. No one to talk to, and no friends who were in town, or good at comforting the happiest one in the friend group.

There was one who was supposed to come. He hadn’t shown up yet, not responding to anyone’s calls after he first heard the news, not even saying if he was planning on attending. Greg’s brother was always like that. Wanting to wallow in misery all by his lonesome, not caring to be with loved ones, and would rather lament in a small room. Greg just wished the room was one he could enter whenever he wanted. He wished it wasn’t 500 miles away, in a college dorm. 

A croak from across the room made his eyes focus back to reality. A rather large bullfrog sat in a giant container, looking at Greg in an earnest attempt to comfort his broken heart. Greg smiled slightly, and shifted to face his beloved frog. 

“Glad you’re here.” He said loud enough to hear. “Just wish you could talk. I think that would be the only thing to make me feel better right now. Could you do that real quick? Just for me?”

_ Blink. Blink. _ It croaked again, and Greg sighed. “M’ just glad I’m not alone.”

As if on cue, a knocking came from downstairs. The quiet aura that once held his thoughts shattered along with it and he sat up. The noises that followed sounded like a muted welcome, with small lectures of adultlike manner for being late. The word ‘late’ made him jump off his bed in a blind burst of emotion. He didn’t know what he was feeling. It was anything but the dark depressing manner he had boarded himself into for the past couple of days, and he was going to hold onto it with everything he had. Bolting to his door he swung it open, and sped down the stairs so fast he almost tripped over his own feet.

Jumping to the bottom, he tried to weave in between the oncoming adults and scanned for unruly brown hair and a thin lengthy figure. The white grounds outside clashed violently with the dark cars and vacant expressions of the people slowly entering the house. People who have been here since yesterday, just slowly filing back into the house after going somewhere without him. His shoulders slumped with his curious intent extinguishing. His aunts and uncles hurry inside to escape the cold, and he slowly trudges back up the steps to escape small talk. He never liked small talk, it wasn’t interesting. What he considered interesting small talk others would consider to be strange childlike humor that he should have grown out of.

“Greg!” 

He froze for a second before turning to his aunt. “Yeah? What’s up? Where did you guys go?”

She fumbled for something in her purse before answering. “Don’t you wanna see someone?”

For a second Greg though she was going to pull out a childhood stuffed animal, or a real animal if anything. When she nodded towards the door instead his body stiffened, and he slowly looked again. Descending the remaining stairs he walked to the opened door right next to the stairway, and almost collided with the tall man who had decided to enter. As Greg backed away for space he glimpsed the man's figure blurred by the blinding white background. His long navy coat and red scarf let Greg know who it was, and he looked at the man’s boots in stunned silence. The man had stopped trying to haul his luggage in as well, and the two stood in the freezing hallway, with nothing to do except soak in the sudden change of company. Without meaning to, Greg's legs began to move, and he wrapped his arms around the man’s torso, ignoring the snow that covered him. 

“Greg?” Wirt’s surprised voice sent chills through the younger brother; It felt like he had gone so long without hearing it.

“Hello old brother-o-mine.” He said, eyes suddenly burning with a sting he was familiar with at this point.  _ Thump. _ Wirt dropped his luggage, and the cold long arms enveloped Greg as the two embraced for the first time in a long time. 

“Hey.” He muttered back. His voice didn’t sound broken, more of a humble gesture of comfort that could calm someone down, or make them more uneasy. Greg ignored it. Wirt was back and that was all that mattered. They had so much to talk about, so many things Greg wanted to say came spilling out of his mouth. This new comfort, this family member he had been with since childhood would never replace who had just left Greg’s life; but the reassurance that he was no longer alone made his mouth move faster than he could think.

Wirt tried to move away from the hug. “Woah woah, slow down. I can’t understand you.” Greg let go, and finally looked into his older step-brother’s face. It had changed from the last time he had seen him. His nose and cheekbones look more refined, a sort of older diminishing tone to them. His dark hazel eyes looked tired, but at the same time when did they  _ not _ look tired? Aside from these older looking aspects his dull tan skin looked younger than Greg would have thought. The guy spends all day cooped up in his room, Greg would imagine he would look a lot worse.

His mouth opened again, and he tried to think of something else that would make sense. In the end all he could think was: “Y..you’re late.” 

Wirt’s silhouetted form went ridgid. His soft voice took on a deeper tone as he looked away. “Sorry... Guess I just needed to be alone, that’s all.”

Greg felt his eyes turn to cold glass. He pursed his lips and averted the man’s stare. “I...guess that makes sense.” 

In a single sentence he was reminded of his and Wirt’s relationship. He had forgotten how one sided the emotion seemed to be. How much Wirt kept to himself. The entire reason they were apart was because Wirt wanted space, so why did Greg think this was going to be a touching reunion? Wirt mattered to him more than anyone else now, he was the only one who also felt the same pain, and knew what he was going through. So it hurt even more when someone like that wasn’t drawn to another’s company.

He opened his mouth again, but before any other words-comfort or reticule- could be said, Greg heard the floorboards creak as Dad walked briskly past him to welcome the older brother. It was slightly less willing in Wirt’s eyes as he embraced his second father. They began to murmur to each other, asking questions and receiving brisk answers, wondering how the other has been dealing with the loss. Greg stood silently beside them, waiting for an opportunity to speak out and say something that could interest them both. When he saw no chance in sight, he muttered a final small welcome to his older brother and slowly turned nonchalantly on his heels. Neither of them noticed the small sixteen year old silently sprint up the stairs and not so silently close the door to his room.

Shuddering through a deep breath, Greg wanted nothing more than to sink to the rough carpet and let tears crash through the emotional barriers he had tried to build for the past week. He had waited so long for him. Wirt was Greg’s last chance to feel the kind of comfort he needed to get through this. His older brother had promised he would be there for him. He promised he would try to be a better brother. He promised. He promised….

Almost tugging the hair out of his head, Greg wrapped his arms around his legs and curled up on the floor, head between his knees. No tears fell, he couldn’t get himself to cry. He didn’t want to cry anymore. There would be no point. He got what he wanted, his older brother had come, and now he was standing downstairs, conversing with the older people he thought he could relate to. 

Thoughts of Greg's mother was what stopped him from thinking further. She wouldn’t want Greg to feel alone, so he would be grateful for his wish to come true. Greg was glad that Wirt was here, that he felt mildly welcome in the house he used to call home. As long as Wirt could talk to him later, about all of this, maybe they could catch up too.

  
  



	2. Lucid Dreaming

The window seal was covered in frost from the inside, making it mirror the fogginess in Greg's mind as his breath covered it in a pale mist. His seatbelt was digging into his collar and he tried to rest his head against it, the dreariness of the setting taking effect. 

The entire funeral had been 4 and a half hours long, and it sucked the life out of him nonetheless. Being with the people he loves, and looking down at the one who could love anyone 10 times greater being lowered into the ground, he was one of the last to throw a red rose onto the casket. Standing next to Wirt and waiting for his signal for when it was time to step away, but his older brother’s tired eyes were red and lifeless, transfixed on the flower covered casket. The only reason why either of them even moved was when their grandfather put a heavy hand on both of their shoulders, reluctantly pulling them away from the grave. Greg didn't realize that no others were in the cemetery anymore. They had been standing there, alone, no company other than each other. They trudged through the graves, side by side, both trapped in their own thoughts and not daring to escape. Greg only realized that Wirt was no longer with him when he sat down in the black vehicle. He watched his older brother tread further down the road, getting into his own car. Greg almost followed after him but the engine came to life, threatening his thoughts of leaving, and he was content to sit next to his Grandfather who didn’t seem aware of his presence.

As they sped down the narrow paved road, Greg looked across the car, trying to find comfort in anything that could possibly comfort someone who always looked on the bright side. The worst part of looking on the bright side was that when he had dark times, the sun seemed to blot itself out. Not being able to see anything from the darkening sky to the solemn faces around him, Greg shifted his legs and dove back down into his thoughts. There was no point in talking, everyone was already thinking the same thing.

The tone of the air was musty, and stayed that way even when they walked back into the frigid house that used to hold so much happiness and warmth, sucking the light out of every corner and crevice. Pictures of Greg's mother were everywhere. Her beautiful hazel eyes and black hair felt like a tarp pulled over Greg's eyes, hardly able to see anything else except for the smile he would never be met with again.

He could still remember that night. The buzzing in the air had died after the news was first given, and was replaced with a humming, then a thundering hammer, then died all together. It had grown colder since then, the first snowfall was the day after it all happened, as if the world was mourning the loss as well.

Even though everyone was silent, Greg found himself by Wirt's side again, not wanting to stray away from him even if he gave no comfort. He remembered his older brother saying words a long time ago, back when they still talked everyday. _Sorrow loves company._ Although that never applied to Wirt, Greg held onto each of his brother's thoughts like quotes from a speech, holding greater value to him than Wirt would ever know.

The rest of the day passed by with tentative haste, not wanting to last but refusing to leave. A slow dinner showed signs of life as people began to talk about her, who she was and who she raised. Greg was somewhat fine with being a part of the conversations that held stricken value to everyone. With no appetite but an empty stomach all the same, dinner was over, and then everyone was gone. Except for the three who could still call this house a home. It was time to clean up for bed. Greg didn’t want to take a shower, he wanted to try sleeping with the thoughts he had collected, and not wash them away. But sleep didn’t come to him that night, or the next. 

* * *

Constantly tossing and turning, the haunting image of his mother’s name on a grave lingering on his eyelids, Greg sat up in a lonesome defeat. He stared into the darkness, no light except for the terrarium illuminating his ceiling in a glassy trance. He couldn’t feel anything, there were no thoughts, no emotions, nothing. All of those had been burned out of his system after the first week of mourning. His eyes felt like lead, and his arms stiff, but he knew sleep wouldn’t come on the third night either. If it did it would be small bits hear and there, making himself even more sluggish in the morning. Greg remembered thinking how silly Wirt was for always being lost in his thoughts, but he could feel himself creeping up into his footsteps. He would never have a way with words like his older brother, but that never stopped him from thinking things over. The closed curtains flashed light across the room as a car sped by, leaving a noise in its wake. A roaring engine that mimicked the pounding in Greg’s head as he laid there, a first time insomniac. Even when the noise was gone it left an after sound, like wood creaking in floorboards and deathly still at the same time. They were in rhythm, swaying over each other, tentatively so as not to be heard…

Greg glanced at the dark door on the opposite side of his room. The noise was not coming from outside. It was a lot closer than he thought. It sounded like something else was awake. He shifted in his bed, further away from the noise, clutching the heavy quilt in sudden alarm. He was too old to be afraid of things like this, he shouldn’t be so afraid. It could always be Wirt, or Dad, or somebody else who was nice.

When he thought of his older brother it brought a sad relief to him, making him want to fall asleep and cry at the same time. He knew neither of those were options to him, so instead he swung his feet out of bed, touching the cold carpet. Eyes going black with lightheadedness, he continued to walk towards the rectangular shadow in the corner. It was better than lying helpless in bed for hours on end, so the only thing he could do now was look for company. With Wirt constantly leaving, and Dad always wanting to be left alone, Greg’s only company was an old, unintelligent frog sitting on his desk.

He touched the doorknob and leaned against the wooden frame to hear anything. The noise was right outside his room, passing his doorway at a slow pace. He creaked the door open a sliver and almost slammed it immediately when he saw the towering dark figure passing by. Head twitching in anxiety he held it in one hand, bracing himself against the door to not fall over. To be suddenly and completely alert felt new to him. The figure surprised him more than anything, he wasn’t actually expecting someone to be there. He was just checking to make sure his imagination didn’t make something around the noise, and now his imagination was thrown on the floor, abandoned by the sudden reality that there actually was someone there.

The noise hadn’t stopped, and was faintly quieter, making the pounding in his head more noticeable. Greg squeezed his eyes tight enough to see stars, and tried to swallow through his tight throat. 

He opened the door again, braving himself by opening it even further. The figure was now at the end of the hallway to his right, standing at the top of the stairs. Swallowing again Greg stepped out into the hallway, and then paused, relief replacing caution. It was Wirt, standing in a zombie like manner, his dark clothes adding to the shadows as he stood there, eerily peering down the stairway as if determining to jump.

Greg wasted no time in collecting his thoughts. He opened the door enough to move through, and glide towards his older brother.

“Wirt?” There was no answer, and Greg slowed his pace. “Wirt? You ok?”

No answer, except for a slight sway in his form. As Greg neared the figure he saw a difference that made the uneasy lump in his throat return. Wirt’s left hand was at his side, clenched in a fist so tight he might break through his palm’s skin. His right arm was stretched out, and Greg had to look to the side to see exactly what he was doing. Another tight fist, palm down, like he was holding a grocery bag, or a basket. He was trembling, head ducking and swaying with anxiety. His shoulders would bounce slightly, as if preparing to be struck with an unseen force.

Greg seemed immobile as well, taking in the unnerving scene that had replaced the dreary atmosphere he used to be enveloped in. _Sleepwalking? Wirt has never slept walked before_. Thoughts ran through his head as he tried to remember what he had learned about somnambulism in school. Does he wake Wirt up? Does he try to guide him back to bed? How does he go about this?

He was now right behind him, waiting for a sign of consciousness, or anything that would render a reassuring feeling. Greg reached his own hand out, hovering over Wirt’s shoulder, but nervous about the outcome. How would he react?

He poked Wirt’s shoulder a little too hard. He didn’t think it was hard enough for Wirt to suddenly spin around and grab him by the cuff of his shirt collar, almost heaving Greg off his feet. Eyes bulging with sudden adrenaline, Greg’s jaw fell open in a small shriek, arms shaking at his sides and legs trying to backpedal. Wirt’s eyes were even wider than his, tears of hatred and fear streaming out of them and breathing heavily through a clenched jaw. 

“.. **You..** ” He growled, his voice replaced with a thick, syrup like snarl that stuck to Greg’s mind, slurring his thoughts and replacing them with nothing but animal-like instincts of RUN! RUN! RUN! All the sorrow and fear that he had been holding onto for the past two weeks came pouring out of his soul like sand, and he snapped his eyes shut, trying to twist free of his older brother’s death-like grip.

“STOP IT!” He stomped on Wirt’s foot with the energy he remembered he had, and the vise grip turned soft, then left all together. Greg stumbled to the floor, his head hitting the side of the wall as he braced against it. Forgetting to breathe he staggered away from Wirt, eyes sharp and narrow with terror.

“W-wha-” Wirt’s tall figure was slouched, frail, with hands wringing at his torso and feet fleeing backwards. His eyes were half open from the dark setting, brows knitted together in a worried but curious expression. “W-what’s going on? Where am I?”

“Excuse me?” Greg breathed, holding his collar with one hand, feeling where the fabric had torn from an unknown burst of strength. “ Wirt w-what was that?!”

“What was what?” Wirt’s voice was sluggish and tired, and he touched his face, feeling the cold streaks where tears had fallen onto his baggy shirt. “What are you doing out here? I was just..” He trailed off, not saying words that Greg wished he had. Maybe if they were said it would have helped in some way to ease the tension from the two as they stood there, silently observing each other in the dark. However Wirt's posture straightened in a way that made Greg aware that he wasn’t in the mindset to talk about what was plaguing his mind. The younger brother also regained his stance in the hallway, away from the wall, and towards the lengthy form.

“Since when do you sleepwalk?” Greg whisper-shouted, remembering his sleeping father downstairs. “You scared the crap outta me!”

“I don’t.” Wirt was looking at him with a skeptical squint, trying to see through the dark. “I don’t sleepwalk.”

Greg tried to find words that might help him figure out what had just happened. “Then what was the point of almost beating me up? Why are you out here right now? You've been here for three days so why do you want to beat me up all of a sudden? Don't you wanna just talk or something-?”

Wirt threw his hands up in exasperation to quiet the babbling teenager. “Please just stop talking, it’s the middle of the night. You ask so. Many. Questions.” He slowly turned around, Greg fell silent by how carefree he was suddenly acting. Wasn't he just on the verge to beat him senseless? “Anyway I _don’t_ want to talk to you right now. I dunno know what all that was about but please just go back to sleep. I’m making a coffee.”

Greg’s eyebrows knitted together in hurt and disbelief. Was he being serious? He was supposed to go back to sleep after that? The shock of the situation was still crashing through his head as he took a step forward. What about Wirt? Why was he acting like this was normal? “Coffee now? You just said it’s the middle of the night-”

“Goodnight Greg!”

"Wha-"

Wirt descended down the wooden stairs, leaving Greg standing there in stunned silence, too confused to move. What on earth was that? He wanted to race down the stairs after Wirt and ask for an explanation, but knowing Wirt, if he didn’t want to talk, then he wouldn’t talk. Aside from a small greeting or question, this was the first time Wirt had regarded Greg, not just as someone he was forced to interact with. For once Greg wished that Wirt might have been a nicer brother, and give reassurance that whatever had just happened was nothing but a silly excuse of a joke. He still wanted to go after Wirt, but knowing there was no use to getting him to talk made his body refuse to move forward no matter how much he struggled.

Squeezing his eyes shut Greg stamped his foot into the ground, his hands trembling in a sudden burst of anger and frustration. “Well thanks for finally talking to me!” Sarcasm pouring out of his mouth for the first time, he marched back into his room. "And since when do you drink coffee!?"

Greg wanted to slam the door so bad, and let it ring through the house. Instead he turned the knob all the way and pushed himself against the door, it’s heavy _dunk_ made him release the handle and speed towards his bed. Tossing the blankets out of the way he sank back down, head in fists.

He sat in that stubborn pose for a solid minute before melting into a defeated heap, falling onto the bottom of his bed, where the blankets were cold. Burning fuel was still brewing in his stomach, but an uncomfortable churn began as well. His nose scrunched up in retaliation burned, then relaxed, and let the tears fall. Greg was so confused, and now so disappointed in himself. He hadn’t cried himself to sleep since the night mom died.

**Author's Note:**

> Heey so this is my first Fic! I had a lot of ideas for what was going to happen but I think I'll just make more fics for those in the future (Maybe, maybe not) But in the meantime enjoy this slightly darker story of these adorable brother's going on adventures!


End file.
